Jennie Bridges signs with Tennessee Wesleyan
Last Wednesday turned out to be twice as exciting for Heritage High School senior soccer player Jennie Bridges.
Bridges began her afternoon by signing a scholarship offer to continue playing at Tennessee Wesleyan.
Moments later, before the ink was even dry on her letter of intent, she got another round of applause from family and friends after being asked - and promptly accepting - a surprise prom invitation.
“It means a lot,” she said of signing her letter of intent. “I’ve worked hard since fourth grade to earn a scholarship. Now that I’m finally signing it, it’s a really big accomplishment because I’ve devoted a lot of my life toward it.
“It’s a little bittersweet, too, because I guess it means I’m growing up, but I’m still very happy. (The scholarship) will pay for the rest of my four years (in college) and I still get to do something I love while going to college. Plus, I’ll be getting a new soccer family and the coaches (at Tennessee Wesleyan) are great. I’ve got some mixed emotions, excitement and nerves, but mostly, I’m just happy.”
Bridges said narrowing her choice of colleges was “really hard”, but said that there were several factors that led her to choosing the Athens, Tenn. NAIA school.
“First, it’s really close to home,” she explained. “They have a great soccer program, they had the best offer and they have my major. Plus, I’ll have the ability to come in and compete for a starting job right away, which is something I wanted. I didn’t want to go somewhere that I wasn’t going to play.”
“Jennie is a firecracker,” Heritage Lady Generals head coach Desiree Robinson said of her goalkeeper. “She’s definitely aggressive. I even have to remind her sometimes at practice that she’s going up against her own team, but that’s what you need in a goalkeeper. College coaches are looking for keepers that aren’t scared to get in the mix of things, get aggressive and be ready to turn it on at game time.
“She’ll definitely be a great addition and have a great impact on the team at Tennessee Wesleyan.”
Bridges said she will study Health Sciences at TWU and wants to one day become a surgeon.